Display-rack.



A. S. HUGHES.

DISPLAY RACK.

APPLICATION FILED MAE. 15, 1909.

Patented Mar. 29, 1910.

vAl-RIJHUIR"SHEIIR'IDAl'tT HUGHES, 0F MANSFIELD, OHIO.

' 'DISPLAY-RACK.

Speoication of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 29, 1910.

Application filed March 15, 1909. Serial No. 483.460.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that. I, ARTHUR S. HUGHES, a

.citizen ofthe United States, residing at verted'for different uses, there being a locking means for yiel'dingly holding the device so that .the racks thereof can be swung `around to displaythe'goods at the back as well as at thelfront of! the device, and at the same time render alll the goods conveniently accessible.

With these objects in view and others, as

"will appear as the description proceeds, the

invention comprises the various novel features of construction and arrangement of 'parts which will be more fully described hereinafter and set forth with particularity in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a central vertical section of the display apparatus. Fim 2 is a plan view of one of the racks adapted for suspending suits or the like. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the4 locking means for the shaft of the apparatus. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view on line 4*-4, Fig. 8.

Similar reference characters are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout l the views.

Referrin to the drawing, 1 designates a verticallyisposed rotatable shaft which has its upper and lower ends mounted respectively in ceilin and floor bearings 2 and 3 the extreme en s of the shaft being arranged to extend a short distance only in said bearings. 'On the extremities ofthe shaft are bearing disks 4 fastened by binding screws 5. Each disk is dis osed opposite the adjacent bearing, and tliie opposed faces of the latter and disk are vformed with grooves 6 for receiving anti-friction balls -7 for affording free turning of the shaft. The lower disk 4- thereby holds the said shaft in the above described position, and the anti-friction balls, which are arranged between thel said disk and its adjacent bearing, minimize the amount of friction which would otherwise be considerable, and thereby permit a person to readily revolve the vertical shaft and its normally heavy load of display goods. The shaft., however, is adapted to be yieldingly locked in different positions by means of a bolt 8 mounted in a bearing bracket 9 secured to the loor adjacent the bearing 3, the bolt being arranged to slide back and forth in the salue plane with the vdisk 4, the latter having notches 1() in its periphery, any one of which is adapted to vengage a concave roller 11 supported between the bifurcations 12 of the holt.. 'lhe bolt .is pressed inwardly toward the disk by a helical compression spring 13 having one end bearing against the outer upstanding member of the bearing bracket f), while the other end bears against. a shoulder 14 on the bolt. The notches are soshaped that the roller will readily ride outof the saine by applying a slight torque to the shaft 1, when it is desired to turn the same for exhibiting goods atall points of the display apparatus. it will thus be seen that the locking means acts also as a brake, should an excessive force be applied to the shaft for turning it.

Une or more racks A may be applied to the shaft l in superimposed position for displaying the goods. lVhen the device is intended to be used for displaying suits of clothes, the rack will he constructed as shown in Fig. 2. This rack is of rectangular forni having side rods l5 connected with end bars 16. ASecured to the end bars are approximately diagonal members 17 attached to a hub 18 through which the shaft 1 extends, the hub being provided with a clamping screw 19, as shown in Fig. 1, for securing the rack in any position of vertical adjustment thereon. The rods 15 are adapted to receive the suit hangers so that there .will be two rows of suits disposed at opposite sides of the shaft. If small articles are desired to be exhibited, the rack may be provided with a plate 20 resting on the top of ghe same, as shown by the upper rack of A display device of this character is extremely useful in department stores or the like and goods and wares can be artistically arranged thereon for displaying the same to the customers. Obviously, any number of racks may be provided, althou h when the apparatus is intended for disp aying suits, merely onerack of the character shown in Fig. 2, will b'e employed.- When it is desired to show the goods on the back portions of the racks, it is merely necessary to turn the shaft, and as soon as the same has made half a revolution, it ma be automatcally stopped by the locking evice,'as previously explained. A

Whenever it is desired toehnge the racks in any manner, it is only necessary to release the binding screws 5 of each disk, and the shaft will immediately drop to the ioor. The upper end of said shaft can then be readily vremoved from its bearings 2 vandl, and the racks removed from, or more racks added to, the said shaft as desired.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing the advantages of the construction and of the method. of operation will be readily apparent to -those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the device-whichy I -now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and" that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the claims ap nded hereto.

avin'g thus described the invention, what I claim is:- ,-1. In a display apparatus, the combina. tion of a supporting shaft, Va vbearing in ,ed ki-mmediately adjacent the bearing and of which one extremity of the shaft is mounta disk secured to the shaft and disposed such diameter as to project at its. periphery beyond the bearing-,tbe periphery of the disk havin notches, anti-friction devices between the isk and bearin with a lookin device including a 'movab e sprin -presse member, and a roller -pivoted on t e member with its axis para lel with that of the shaft and having a concave circumference to engage in any notchof the disk to hold theshaft yeldingly in different positions.

2. In a disp ay apparatus, the combination of an upright rack-supporting shaft, socketed ceiling and floor bearings into which the extremities of the shaft extend, atdisk removably connected with the lower portion of the shaft and coperatin with the floor bearing to support the sha t, said disk being rotatable with the shaft and having notches in its periphery, a springelement disposed outwardly from an in ra-l dial relation to the disk, a support in which the element is slidably mounted, and a device on the element arranged to ride onl the periphery of the disk and -seatin any notch thereof to yieldingly hold the shaft against rotation.

In testimony, that I claimthe foregoing i as my own, I have hereto aiixed my signa-` ture 1n the presence ofV two witnesses.

ARTHUR SHERIDAN HUGHES.

Witnesses HAZEL RUSSELL, S. G.' GLASENER.

ressed l 

